Because They're Crooks

CNN is finally asking the question: Why do gas prices follow oil up but not down? They're trying to say that it's basic economics, but I think we all know that's bullshit. The commission last year that determined that price gauging was not happening outright LIED. Driving around town will make that pretty clear. Yesterday I drove no more than a mile down one road from the poor part of town into an extremely wealthy area. The price of gas (again, after driving no more than a mile) raised 30 cents when I crossed the township line. Is the government really trying to tell me that driving half a mile down the road justifies that kind of a hike, especially when we live close to refineries and there's absolutely no reason for that kind of difference? If we're going to let the oil and gas companies fuck us in the ass, let's not pretend that they're bending over as well.

And again, if we would all use less oil, buy fewer plastics, and DRIVE LESS, our troops could come home, the assholes in power would have less money, and we would be doing a lot more to help the environment.

Extremely Relevant Movie

'Sicko', the documentary made by Michael Moore about the American health care system, premiered last night nationwide, and I hope the judge deciding my sister's disability case on Monday saw it this weekend. Our lawyer informed us that though she's had 4 open-heart surgeries for Tetralogy of Fallot (also known as Blue Baby Syndrome), a spinal surgery for bone spurs that cut into the nerves in her spinal column (and is in need of another), has a shunt in one of her arteries, and suffers from firbromyalgia and is constantly in horrible pain, the Federal Government will most likely deny her claim and force her to work, basically giving her a death sentence. Thanks America.

Human Chow

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." This quote opens every Iron Chef, but I'm not sure where it comes from. I think it's a fitting way to tell about the culture of a people. I really started thinking about this after seeing a report about cereal companies no longer being able to use licenced characters like Shrek to market to children. I think this is great, especially since cereal is a part of the obesity problem in America. I think puppy chow has more nutritional content than most cereals.

We are an institutionalized and industrialized nation, which is why it's so easy to have a bowl of cereal in the morning (serving size: 1/2 cup) instead of an actual breakfast. Cereal is supposed to be part of a balanced breakfast, which should also include an egg (or other protein), some sort of fruit, and the milk poured into the cereal. In MANY it's cost prohibitive, but the rest of us have no excuse. A 20 oz. box of Cheerios costs $5.29. A dozen eggs costs $0.94. Bananas cost about $0.69 per pound. People who can afford it and choose not to do so are simply lazy.

3,519 US soldiers killed in Iraq
25,950 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

Save Some Energy!!!

Move your thermostat down 2° in winter (or leave it at 65 and put on a sweater) and up 2° in summer (or leave it at 76 and put the quilt away for the season). Turn the thermostats WAY down or off when you leave the house, and LEAVE THE HOUSE often. If it’s too hot or too cold to do things outside, go to public places that are being heated or cooled anyway. Remember that heating and air conditioning is a luxury, not a necessity in most places throughout most of the year. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Really, how much does a filter cost? It only takes a minute to change.

Packaged Goods!

Be sure you’re recycling at home, and make sure that your county is ACTUALLY recycling those materials. Some don‘t. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area. Buy recycled paper products. It takes 70% to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide. Proofread papers on the computer and only print out a hard copy (on recycled paper) when you absolutely need one. If you’re in school, ask your professors or teachers if you can submit papers electronically. If they say no, ask why and demand that this option be made available. Avoid heavily packaged products, including (and especially for your health) those at Fast Food places. Cake mixes, pre-packaged snacks, and frozen foods are convenient, but they're not great for the environment. You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%. Terrified by the question: Paper or Plastic? Neither is great, but if you live on or near the coast, don’t use plastic. It blows away from landfills and hurts the wild life. Canvas is always the better option.

You Are What You Eat

Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce, and let’s not forget how much energy it costs to store. Fresh foods taste better and are better for you. Frozen and overcooked foods lose a lot of their vitamins and almost all of their taste. Buy locally grown and produced foods from area farmers markets or Whole Foods. The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Not only does buying locally help reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by 1/5, it keeps money in your local community, which is ALWAYS a good thing. More farms means fewer housing developments, which means more green space and less carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Try to make sure the farm you buy from is organic. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If all of our corn and soybeans were grown organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere! Eat less meat. Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath. Besides all that, less meat is better for your health.

Disney - Gays Are OK

Though Disney has never actively discriminated against homosexual visitors, they have made their policy even more inclusive by changing the requirement that those participating in their Fairy Tale Wedding program have a legal marriage licence. Of course, this probably has more to do with revenue than common decency, but for a major US company to publicly admit that there is a large enough population of homosexuals for them to make a profit from could be the beginning of some actual social change. Most of this country revolves around money, after all, and once it becomes okay to exploit the gay population, it also becomes okay to BE homosexual. The military HAS actively discriminated and continues to do so.

3,268 US soldiers have died in Iraq
24,476 US soldiers have been wounded in the us

12,000 more National Guard soldiers (if they're in Iraq, who will guard the nation?) are being sent to Iraq in addition to the 21,000 "Troop Surge" that President Bush said would stabilize Iraq. Tell me again how this ISN'T just like Vietnam.

The Cost of Entertainment

I'm posting this because I have the feeling that gas prices and movie prices are much the same - they differ depending on where you live in the country. Even if they don't both are way too high. The cost of both are due to intense greed, and in some cases, extreme stupidity. So, for two adults to go to the movies in the suburbs of Philadelphia the cost is:

Two Tickets: $18.00
Shared Large Popcorn: $7.00
Shared Medium Drink: $5.00 (Water - $4.00)
Candy: $2.50 - $3.50
Total Cost: $ 33.00

This is not even factoring in the cost of going out to dinner beforehand (or gas to get to the movie theater because none are within walking distance anymore), assuming you can afford it. How are college kids affording this? Of course, their tickets are only $7.50, but I remember being completely broke through most of college. Maybe this is why the kids are drinking so much. Select beers at many places on a Friday night cost no more than $3.00. If a family of four wants to go to the movies, they have to save for a month. This is ridiculous. There is no reason why entertainment needs to be so expensive.

3,254 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
24,314 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Your Best Weapon

In our consumerist society money is the best weapon you have against whatever it is you have chosen to fight. People tend not to use it because of the convenience. Who cares if Wal-Mart is exploiting its workers? As long as they have low prices, people will continue to shop there. Well, not I! In America your money is an extention of who you are. Marketing companies figured out years ago that what you buy says a lot about your lifestyle. What the majority of Americans haven't figured out yet is that where you shop is equally as important. If a corporation you give money to, even through purchases, supports a particular cause, you are giving money to that cause whether you agree with it or not. Unfortunately, many Americans are too lazy to research these companies and decide how comfortable they are about buying clothes that were made in a 3rd world sweat shop or food that has so many antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides in it that the flavor has to be replaced with artificial substances.

Even if you don't have the time or patience to only patronize establishments that support all of your pet causes, you CAN choose one or two that are most important. If you support domestic partnerships for homosexuals, don't buy gas from Exxon or contribute to the Salvation Army. If you are anti-Mormon, stay away from your local Albertsons or ACME, and keep your son home from Boy Scouts. If you support independent artists, step away from the Jessica Simpson CD and buy your music online. If you think not enough people are speaking up or speaking out, make sure you buy tickets to see political comics, buy books by authors who are trying to tell the truth, and get your news online.

Donate to THIS cause because:
2,879 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
21,778 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

Truth, Justice, and...

Superman Returns seems to have gone slightly political. Many people see Superman's slogan change as minor, but I think it represents a larger world view, one that cannot be ignored. It is difficult for Superman to fight for truth in a world where its definition is hazy. We watch news conferences filled with spin and "reality" shows that do absolutely nothing to mimic real life (mostly because that would be incredibly boring). When our soldiers are fighting a war for lies and no one is held accountable, there is no justice.

And what exactly is the American Way? It seems to have more to do with the work of Haliburton than with the work of Green Peace. It is consumerism (oil, and our disposable, planned obsolescence society), greed (Haliburton), superficiality (just watch Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, etc...), colossal errors in judgment (Bush), and abandonment (the poor, the education system, those in need of health care, Social Security, immigration...). We have run this nation so far into the ground that even Superman doesn't want to be associated with us. Even my father, generally the winner of "Staunch Republican of the Year", thinks we have a better shot at raising a family and doing well for ourselves in Europe or Canada.

2,543 US soldiers killed in Iraq
18,874 US soldiers wounded in Iraq
Accurate count of Iraqis killed: Unavailable

And the Band Stopped Playing

I watched a documentary called "All We Are Saying" with my husband the other night about the fate of the music industry. There were several things that struck me, but the most disturbing is that Joni Mitchell has quit writing and playing music because of the process it had to go through with today's industry, which is run largely by people who know NOTHING about music.

Much of the film focused on the image associated with the music industry. Many musicians believe that they never would have made it by today's standards, and I tend to agree. I have a feeling Mick Jagger and Janis Joplin would not have stood up against Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake. Why? Because no one really cares about the lyrics anymore. People simply want to be entertained. They don't want music that really means anything. Think about it. When was the last time you were really moved by a song that's been written in the last 5 years? Country music doesn't count. We're talking about rock, folk, and punk here. Even alternative music isn't really an alternative. A least hip-hop gives a culture to a youth that is strongly without direction. The press is shallow, the critics don't really know anything about music, an no one has an attention span of more than a few minutes. If we're not careful, we will lose our music. We've already lost some of our best musicians.

No More SUV's

I have several problems with SUV's, one of them being fuel efficiency. The fact that any car on the road would only get 17 miles to a gallon is absolutely reprehensible, especially given the price of gas and the amount of foreign oil we rely on. But that's not my biggest problem.

I drive a small car. Quite often, especially on the highway, an SUV or a truck will pull up behind me and drive incredibly close to my bumper. I was taught that if you can't see the bottom of the rear tires of the person in front of you, you're too close. It seems that SUV and truck drives have been taught that if you can see the bumper of the car in front of you, you're not close enough. I have been rear-ended twice by an SUV in the past 5 months. Thankfully, my car and I are fine, but most people hit by SUV's and trucks aren't as lucky. If an SUV or truck hits a regular car, the accident is much more severe for the driver of the regular sized car.

For this reason, I am suggesting that there be a special lane just for trucks and SUV's. It's just not safe for them to drive with the rest of us. It's difficult to be a defensive driver when all you can see is the big, fat SUV in front of you. Though I think it's environmentally irresponsible, I don't deny people the right to drive the car they choose, I just don't want them in the same lane with me. It's just not safe.

200 Billion

The President announced that the government will be spending 200 billion of our tax dollars on rebuilding New Orleans. I won't mention that he's already spent that amount in Iraq, or that the deficit at the end of this quarter will be 333 billion dollars. It's not important that 84% of the displaced say they will not return to the city. Let's forget about the fact that it's not the best place for a city to begin with. There is more than enough money in the private sector to rebuild New Orleans, and I'm sure plenty of motivation goes along with it. Why should my tax dollars pay for it?

CompUSA

We needed to get some electronic equipment today. We went to Bust Buy and would have been better off staying there, but my husband thought what he needed may be cheaper at CompUSA. We tend to stay away from there because employees tend to follow my husband around the store. (Shhhh! Don't tell anyone. He's brown.) We weren't really in the mood for their particular brand of racism, but it was enough savings to warrant the trip. I wanted a computer program, so I wandered away to get what I needed. About five people approached me in the course of my 20 minute visit to ask me if I needed help. Though an employee was never more than five feet away from my husband, no one approached him. They stared at him. They followed him. But they didn't ask if he needed help. While we walked to the cashier, my husband and I were discussing the marked differences in our shopping experience. We passed by a manager on the way who asked if we had a problem with the service. We related how many times each of us had been approached and the manner in which he had been followed around the store, all the while, the Hispanic cashiers behind the manager nodded in agreement with our story. We also mentioned that we didn't like to shop at CompUSA because we had the same experience every time we went there. The manager went through great lengths to try to convince us that they didn't practice profiling, while the cashiers made expressions to indicate just the opposite. How can anyone say that we are living in the "land of the free" when some of our citizens experience racism in some form on a daily basis? Why hasn't our education system corrected the problem of stereotyping the races? If a Russian, Israelite, Palestinian, and Korean all live on the continent of Asia, aren't they all Asian?

Steal This Movie (or Book)

I highly recommend this movie/book to anyone who's feeling a little political at the moment. It's actually called "Steal This Movie/Book" because the author wanted his story to get out, but didn't want people to have o pay to read or watch it. It is about Abbie Hoffman, leader of the Yippie movement (flower children who have grown thorns), starring Janine Garofalo. I have found that when I'm feeling directionless, watching movies about political movements and the people who started them always light a fire under my butt. Iron Jawed Angles starring Selma Hayek is about the Women's Suffrage movement, and is also an excellent movie. If you're feeling especially subversive, Grass starring Woody Harrelson is informative and interesting, and Reefer Madness, The Musical starring Christian Campbell is great comedic relief. Today I will be making Chocolate Silk Tofu Pie (excellent, despite the tofu, recipes available compliments of my husband, the Chef), and watching a few movies. There's an Amazing Race marathon on the gameshow network, and we're watching it to see if we can pick up any pointers. See, Anonymous, I DO know how to relax!

Maybe We Should Learn Chinese

This article brings up a good point, American schools are lacking in cultural education. It's not just Chinese culture that our students are missing out on. The world has expanded. We can easily have contact with people of all cultures through the use of the Internet, phones, and even airplanes. We are severely behind in language education. A majority of Americans still speak only one language. An embarrassingly low number of Americans have passports and use them to travel often. Our knowledge of our own geography, let alone world geography, is reprehensible. We need to teach our children about the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. We need to expand our idea of the world and how to interact with it. It starts with education.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are interested in boycotting all things Chinese, go to http://chineseboycott.blogspot.com. I should mention that I disagree with American relations with China, and I used China as an example because it was what the article was based on. I do believe that Americans have a limited view of the world, and the only way to remedy that it through study and travel.

Boycott Microsoft and All Things Chinese

For a while I really liked Bill Gates. He started a crusade for education that hasn't gotten a lot of press, or enough money, for that matter. Recently he had some problems with his policies on homosexuals and their rights. I hoped he'd do the right thing on this China deal. I thought, this man, who has changed the modern age with his work and made it possible for millions of people to express themselves, can't possibly intentionally limit the free speech of others just to add to his already obscene pile of money. My hopes were dashed and alas, the almighty dollar won again. He sold his product to the Chinese, filters and all, to the collective sigh of a billion voices that had hoped to be heard. So now we come to the greater question: Why would Bill Gates do a thing like that? More importantly, why are we still trading with China? Could it be that it would cost American corporations billions of dollars to close down factories and build new ones in other third-world countries? Or, worse yet, what if they had to re-open in America and pay proper wages? Just a theory.

Modern Marx

Karl Marx once said, "Capitalism places value on what a person has rather than on what he or she is." Maybe this is the reason why we have so many problems in our schools right now. If a child does not value what he is, he will not value what he learns, what he creates, or what he becomes. Schools are full of designer clothes, cell phones, CD players, and gameboys. The students focus on who has what, who can conquer which date, and a myriad of other things having absolutely nothing to do with the expansion of their minds. Schools can make all the dress code rules they want and take away all electronic devices, but when parents send kids to school with these things and we have to take them, it makes teachers the bad guys. Capitalism will ultimately be the downfall of American society. We are going the way of Rome. Forget about what you have. Focus on who you are.